On Friday, Toyota introduced “Winglet”, a Segway-like transportation device which functions according to robotics technology from Sony, whose robotics division was taken over by Toyota last year. It is slimmer than Segway and it is ridden in a standing position. Members from Toyota said at a Tokyo news conference that it can carry one person a distance of up to 10 kilometers at a speed of around 6 kilometers per hour.

Winglet has a shorter range than the Segway and it runs slower. The Winglet can go about 3 miles without needing to be recharged. It was especially designed for scooting around malls and airports.

It consists of a three-part body 265mm long and 464mm wide, with an electric motor, two wheels, batteries and control mechanisms. Toyota has built three prototypes - one of the three models shown comes with a control arm that can be used like a steering wheel. But still the machine is designed to respond to the movements of the body and driving it is very much like skiing.

Learning how to drive it takes a little bit of practice, as a beginner wouldn’t know how to position his weight in order to control it. Toyota officials claim that, with some practice, even the elderly, their major target buyer, can learn how to ride it.

Toyota executive Takeshi Uchiyamada, who made a beautiful scooting demonstration at the media conference in Tokyo on Friday, said there were no plans yet to market the machine and no prices had been set. Uchiyamada also said that Toyota sees Winglet packed with wireless technology so it can deliver information from stores. He also stated that Winglet may move on its own just by programming it where to go and where and when to come back.